


AI

by Trash



Category: Bastille (Band)
Genre: Gen, I Don't Even Know, Robot au?, what the fuck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-08
Updated: 2017-12-08
Packaged: 2019-02-12 02:17:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12949170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trash/pseuds/Trash
Summary: They started as a social experient, the band bots.





	AI

**Author's Note:**

> Fuck you, Sophia.

They started as a social experiment, the band bots. A research body wants to know if humans are capable of relating to robots the way they do other celebrities. If a robot passes the Turing test, can it become an icon? Could it be somebody’s idol?

When Will brings up band bots at the end of a long day of shit auditions for the lead singer of their yet unnamed band, Woody rolls his eyes and Kyle pinches the bridge of his nose.

“Mate,” Woody says with feeling.

“What? Have you heard some of them sing? Plus, they’re still in the research phase so there’s cash incentives to use them.”

Kyle shifts uncomfortably. “A robot, though?” He says, but beyond being a little bit freaked out by the idea of it he doesn’t have a solid argument against going for it.

His name is Dan, and he is aesthetically pleasing in an indie star kind of way. Kyle finds it hard to make eye contact with him whilst they sit at the boardroom table.

"Y'alright, mate?" Woody asks, nudging him. 

"Uh, yeah. He just...looks so real?"

The sales rep beams, looking up from where he is leafing through the papers for Dick to sign. "They're really great, aren't they? Such craftsmanship in the design. And the deep machine learning in the band bots mean they recognise people and can anticipate interaction based on who they're talking to - just like humans."

Kyle finally manages to look into the band bot’s eyes and it smiles. He instantly feels rude and clears his throat. “Um. I’m Kyle.”

“Dan,” the band bot says, and its smile is shy.

People love it. Him. Dan, the band bot. He has fans, fans who know he is a band bot and love him even more because of it. There’s resistance, of course, but Dan is thriving. He’s the most successful band bot so far, and Bastille are soaring. Things are great. They’re incredible.

But Kyle still feels weird, sleeping in his bunk on the bus whilst Dan is plugged in in the back room to charge. He feels weird during interviews when Dan exhibits his machine learning by building relationships with the interviewers, by joining in the banter with the lads.

Will and Woody take it in their stride, but Kyle suspects that has something to do with their contractual obligation rather than anything else. He, too, is bound by a contract to be an ambassador for band bots. And he is, mostly. Certainly publically. He waits until he’s alone to express his concerns.

Janna laughs at him when he rings her to moan about it. “You’re half way round the world on the biggest tour of your entire life and _now_ you’re upset that your singer is a band bot?”

“Well…”

“Just enjoy it,” she says. As if it’s that easy. And most of the time it is - which is half the problem.

It’s easy to forget Dan isn’t human, especially if Kyle is drunk and lets his guard down, stumbling tipsily into Dan’s arms. His touch is cool, grounding, and he smiles at Kyle whilst he steadies him on his feet. “Woah.”

“Sorry, mate,” Kyle says, straightening Dan’s shirt for him.

“No bother,” Dan says, and he focuses on Kyle like he’s the only person in the pub. It’s something that has been developed to help Dan build relationships with fans, and it works. Kyle could forget, he could forget about it all and just give in and kiss him. Because he’s so handsome and kind and he is a great listener.

And he’s a robot.

So Kyle smiles tightly, and walks away.


End file.
